Editor’s Note: Fall 2026

Some news is good news—like the encouraging cover story from our fall issue of National Wildlife magazine

By Jennifer Wehunt
NWF News
Sep 23, 2026

It takes a village, or a campus: California State University, Bakersfield, is working to conserve its resident population of San Joaquin kit foxes.

WORKING ON THIS ISSUE'S COVER STORY (“Keeping Kit Foxes on Campus”) was such a joy. In part, that was because the news was good, or at least goodish, at a time when we can all use a boost. Yes, San Joaquin kit foxes are still endangered wherever they’re found. But led by Professors Antje Lauer and Lucas Hall, the Bakersfield campus of California State University (CSUB) is making strides, with curiosity and grit, to conserve its resident kit fox population.

Satisfaction also comes from this being something of an inside job: a story we learned about from NWF colleagues. If you don’t know Kristy Jones on the education team, she’s a force for good, supporting the recipients of NWF’s college grant partnership with “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom.” For those grants and so many other programs sustaining wildlife and NWF, we give a high five to Krista Newberry and the partnerships team.

We also made some new friends. Photographer Anton Sorokin set up camp to capture all facets of this story: Foxes at dawn. Foxes at dusk. Students tracking foxes. Professors teaching students. Students processing data. He nailed it. Last but not least, we had the good fortune to connect with Brittany Oceguera, a newly minted CSUB alum who—no big deal—reported this story while taking finals and finishing up her senior year. She’s hoping to land a job in bilingual journalism. Hire her.

With this issue arriving near the start of another school year, it’s hard not to feel ... optimistic? Hopeful? Whatever it is, I like it.

Jennifer Wehunt is the editorial director of National Wildlife magazine. Share your thoughts on the magazine by emailing nwfeditor@nwf.org.